


Something Sweet

by Noteventhat (Facialteeth)



Series: Skyrim AU [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Skyrim Fusion, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Magical Realism, Miner Alec, Mutual Pining, Nord Alec, Oblivious Magnus, Oppression, Orc Magnus, Poor Alec, Poor Magnus, Romantic Fluff, Self Conscious Magnus, Sharing a Bed, Skyrim AU, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:00:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27761890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Facialteeth/pseuds/Noteventhat
Summary: Being an orc in a predominantly nordic country, Magnus had long grown used to the things people would say about him. He’d learned long ago to keep his head down and stay out of trouble, at least the best he could. It was a lonely life but one Magnus was used to. That was, until Magnus met Alec.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Skyrim AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034022
Comments: 16
Kudos: 97





	Something Sweet

**Author's Note:**

> I started replaying Skyrim, so have an AU vaguely based off Skyrim!

Being an orc in a predominantly nordic country, Magnus had long grown used to the things people would say about him. He’d learned long ago to keep his head down and stay out of trouble, at least the best he could. Magnus was lucky to have a job and a place to stay. He knew that. He knew orcs that had been given far less of a chance but Magnus also knew he’d only been given a job because he was a halfling.

His mother had been an imperial, his father an orc. Magnus’ features were far less defined than that of the other orcs he’d met. More or less, Magnus could blend in. He could almost pass as something else, something normal, if it wasn’t for the tusks that popped out behind his bottom lip. Even they were smaller than the big tusks of many of the orcs Magnus had met but they were predominant enough that no one was ever mistaken about what Magnus truly was. It was enough for him to be declared not orc enough to fit in with his own people and to be shunned anywhere else, like the small village he’d settled in.

Magnus was allowed to clean the tavern and stock the shelves, as long as he kept his head down and didn’t bother the patrons. He was even allowed to live in the basement, which meant Magnus didn’t have to spend any of the money he got finding a place to sleep or buying a room. Truthfully, it was a better set up than Magnus had wandered into the tavern expecting. He had enough money to buy food. He had a place to stay. He was allowed to live in relative peace. Things weren’t too awful, once he came to terms with the fact that his peace came at the cost of being almost completely alone all the time.

That was, until Magnus met Alec. Alec had come into the tavern half frozen. He’d had just enough money to buy a drink and be allowed to stay but he didn’t seem to have anything more than that. Magnus really wasn’t supposed to talk to the patrons. He didn’t want to risk having one of them complain about the orc bothering them and be kicked out but Magnus had felt bad enough for Alec that he’d taken the chance. He’d walked over to him and asked if he could buy him something to eat and another drink, if he wanted it.

Alec had looked so shocked that he didn’t seem to know what to say but Magnus had taken that as a yes anyway. He’d gone and gotten Alec a bottle of mead and half a loaf of bread, bread he’d made himself this morning. Alec ate it like he was famished and when he was done, he was so grateful that he insisted Magnus come sit with him.

Magnus really wasn’t supposed to talk to the patrons but there were only a few other people in the tavern and it was late enough at night that no one in particular besides Alec seemed interested in him. Magnus said he’d only sit for a second but that second had turned into a few hours.

Alec was nice, especially for a nord. Magnus was so used to being treated like he was less than that having Alec talk to him like he was a normal person was nicer than he’d even expected it would be. Magnus hadn’t even known how much he’d wanted someone to talk to him like Alec did that night. Eventually, it was time for the tavern to close but it was clear to Magnus that Alec didn’t have anywhere else to go, nor did he have any money.

Magnus himself didn’t exactly have enough money to spare buying Alec a room, so he invited Alec to come stay with him instead. Magnus didn’t have much. The basement he lived in was cold and damp. The only thing Magnus really owned was a cot, a lamp and a few stray books he’d managed to collect but it beat sleeping outside in the snow, Magnus supposed.

He told himself that so he wouldn’t be embarrassed but if Alec judged him for his living conditions, he didn’t show it. He was grateful Magnus let him stay at all and that night, they ended up curled together on Magnus’ cot, sharing a blanket as they pressed into each other to keep warm. It was far more comfortable than it was sleeping alone and after that, Alec just didn’t leave.

Magnus had the feeling that Alec was using him because he had no place else to go. He thought Alec would leave the moment he had enough money to but Magnus didn’t really mind. It was nice to not be alone all the time and Alec was good company. He’d enjoy it for as long as he could.

Soon after, Alec got a job working in the mine nearby. He’d come home dirty, with his muscles aching but he’d also come home with more money than Magnus made in a week. They fell into domestically before anything had even sparked between them. Alec would rest in bed while Magnus went to buy them food and for a while, that was just how they lived.

Truthfully, Magnus had liked Alec from the beginning. Alec was so kind and beautiful. Magnus wasn’t sure how he could not like Alec but he also wasn’t delusional. He knew that there was no way Alec would ever like him. He was an orc and sharing a space with Magnus, sharing a bed with him out of necessity, was a lot different from wanting to be with him.

Magnus knew every joke about how dumb and ugly orc’s were. He knew even if Alec did like him that his tusks would ruin any shot Magnus really had at being with him. No one wanted to kiss an orc and as kind and nice as Alec was, he knew that would not change but Magnus was okay with that. He’d take warm nights against Alec’s side for as long as Alec would let him.

It was a couple of weeks after Alec started working that things changed a little. Instead of just pressing together at night, Alec started to wrap his arms around Magnus, hesitantly at first and then more assured when Magnus didn’t push Alec away. Alec would pull Magnus tight against his chest and let the orc nuzzle into him until morning came.

That too, Magnus tried to brush off. Alec must just like to cuddle. That didn’t mean that it meant anything else and Magnus certainly wasn’t going to complain. He’d never slept better in his life than he did wrapped in Alec’s arms. Then, Alec started with the kisses.

One day, with Magnus cradled against his chest, he simply pressed a kiss to the top of Magnus’ head. The touch made Magnus’ whole body tingle but even when that became a regular occurrence, Magnus brushed it off. He’s just touchy. He just likes kisses. It didn’t mean he actually liked Magnus in any way more than someone to keep him warm at night.

They lived like that for a while. Magnus would work in the tavern during the day. Alec would work long shifts in the mine and come home exhausted. Magnus would spend the evening making them food, or buying it when they had enough money. He’d help Alec scrub all the dirt and soot from his body when he was too tired to do it himself and then at night, they’d curl together and keep each other warm until the sun came up again.

It wasn’t much but it was a life far better than Magnus had when he was alone and he cherished every moment of it that Alec stayed. Then, one evening as suddenly as it all had started, things changed. They’d already eaten and cleaned up together. They’d splurged on some mead that night, which might have been why Alec felt so emboldened to pull Magnus on top of him, when they crawled into bed.

Magnus had frozen against Alec’s chest, staring down at him confused. Maybe, he should have realized what was happening but he didn’t. He didn’t think there was any way Alec would want to kiss him but after a moment of staring at each other, Alec made it clear that’s what he intended.

“I want to kiss you,” Alec had said, bold and without any of the frilly word fluff Magnus normally associated with people. He wanted to kiss him and it was as simple as that.

The moment Alec’s words sank in, Magnus’ eyes widened. “You can’t really want to-” Magnus trailed off, following Alec’s eyes as they clearly took in the slope of Magnus’ lips.

“I do,” Alec said instantly. “You had to have known I wanted to?” Alec asked, his eyes flickering up to Magnus’ in question. Whatever he saw on Magnus’ face, probably that Magnus in fact hadn’t known at all, made Alec’s expression softened.

As if he was reading Magnus’ mind, he spoke, “You’re beautiful, Magnus.” Alec hushed, his finger gently tracing across Magnus’ bottom lip, brushing the tusks Magnus had always so desperately wished weren’t there. “I want to kiss you,” Alec insisted, when the hesitation on Magnus’ face didn’t go away. “You’re so beautiful. I’ve always wanted to kiss you. I just wasn’t sure if you did too…” At that, Alec trailed off, a frown flickering on his face.

For a moment, Magnus wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t sure why Alec was looking at him like that and then Magnus realized Alec wasn’t sure if Magnus wanted to kiss him. He was waiting for permission, as if there was a universe in which Magnus wouldn’t want Alec to kiss him.

“Of course, I do,” Magnus said finally, disbelief still resonating in his voice. His mind couldn’t comprehend that Alec wanted to kiss him and that Alec could possibly think Magnus wouldn’t want to kiss him in return. He’d laid against Alec’s chest every night, thinking about how nice his lips would feel against Magnus’ own, in a world where things were different, where Magnus had been born different.

Except, maybe Magnus didn’t need to be any different for Alec to like him. Magnus’ heart swelled with hope and that was a dangerous feeling to have. Half of Magnus was still convinced it was a trick, that Alec was going to push him away last second and laugh at how pitiful Magnus was for ever thinking Alec would kiss him.

But Alec didn’t push Magnus away and after a moment, Alec leaned forward until his soft lips met Magnus’ own. Magnus was acutely aware of his tusks pressing into Alec’s lips. His thoughts were filled with worry of Alec being uncomfortable, of Alec realizing how dreadful it was to kiss him, of Alec grimacing and pulling away but that didn’t happen and after a second, the feeling of Alec’s lips chased away any negative thoughts in Magnus' head.

Alec didn’t grimace. He didn’t pull away and tell Magnus how awful it felt to kiss him. He just pulled Magnus closer and when they did finally part, breathless and desperate for their lips to meet again, the only thing Magnus saw in Alec’s eyes was adoration.

They only parted for a brief second before Alec was there again, his lips chasing away any rational thought in Magnus’ head. In that moment, Magnus wondered if he could really have something that felt this wonderful and sweet in his life.

Over the next few days, Magnus learned that Alec was determined to show him he could.


End file.
